Re[2]: Pregnancy and Air Travel

["RUSSELL, MIKE" <russelmj@songs.sce.com>]

Regarding the recommendation below by the physician not to fly while
pregnant, it reflects widespread misconceptions about radiation risks
among physicians.  On my last trip to the emergency room, the doctor
recommended against x-rays for my 8 year old son's head injury because
"we think there's a risk to mental development with young children."

Since doctors are a primary link with the general public about
radiation risks these stores suggest a PR serious problem.

You Wrote (in part):

>By the way, it seems that there are considerably greater air travel-related
>risks for pregnant women, such as lugging heavy suitcases, increased
>physiological stress due to jet lag, etc. 
>
>Rick Mannix
>Univ. of Calif., Irvine
>EH&S Office
>rcmannix@uci.edu
>

ASSUMING that the pregnant woman will make the trip one way or another, the
risks associated with driving far exceed the risks associated with air
travel (radiation exposure included). This fact (minus the radiation
concerns) was recently highlighted by the attention given to the regulation
(which was subsequently repealed) requiring the use children's cars seats in
commercial airliners...statistically speaking, more children would die
because if parents had to buy tickets for each child, a percentage would be
forced to drive instead.

Chris Meyer, C.H.P.
Texas A&M University
c-m-meyer@tamu.edu